The May Issue

May is my favourite month of the year. This is the time when Spring really begins to take off here: the flowers burst open, the trees become green, seemingly overnight, and there is consistent sunshine, fresh breezes and the promise of something new. The May issue of Martha Stewart Living, which is on stands now at grocery stores, is a nice complement to the season.

On the cover is a bouquet of peonies - one of my favourite flowers - in a photograph by Stephen Kent Johnson, beautifully styled by Tanya Graff. And if it's flowers you're looking for then you'll be delighted by Martha's column, which beautifully celebrates the art of flower arranging and cutting straight from the garden.

In a series of photographs by Thomas Loof, we see how Martha displays her blooms indoors at her home in Bedford, New York. They are casual but delightful arrangements that celebrate the bounty of the cutting garden.

There are also helpful homekeeping tips throughout the issue, such as a thorough primer on painting house exteriors, complete with helpful historical colour palettes traditionally used on various styles of houses, from Tudor to Craftsman. The "Good Living" section kicks off with a gentle reminder to deep-clean your dishwasher with daily, weekly and monthly to-dos to keep it running at peak performance. In cooking, "Everyday Food" has a wonderful primer on Eggs Benedict as well as four easy hot-sandwich/wraps for quick and casual dinners at home.

In the features section, entertaining menus mingle with garden tours and home renovations. A book excerpt from "Still: The Slow Home" by Natalie Walton, which is published May 19, looks at three different homes that have been revamped and revitalized by their new owners to reflect their specific needs and tastes. But my sweet tooth was immediately tickled by the feature on bundt cakes, "Hole in One." All six delicious takes on this retro classic leave me wanting to start collecting bundt pans, which of course I have absolutely no room for.

I hope you'll pick up an issue, if you haven't already. It's guaranteed to bring some cheer.

MAY ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:

Favourite Good Thing: DIY baked taco shells and taco bowls, page 26. (Seriously, so clever!)

Favourite Recipe: Cauliflower-and-Chickpea Pitas With Creamy Yogurt Sauce, page 69.

Favourite Find: Still: The Slow Home by Natalie Walton. Publishes May 19.

Favourite Feature: "Hole In One" - an inspired collection of six recipes for bundt cakes, page 84.